Jagger

by Kristopher Rufty

Other than the trailer park left to her by her deceased daddy, Amy’s favorite treasure is Jagger, her 180-pound bull mastiff. One day while she is away, Clayton, her best friend’s scumbag boyfriend sneaks into her yard and takes the dog. His prize fighting pit bull was killed during its last match, costing a lot of bad people a lot of money. To make up for his dog’s losses, and to save his own life, Clayton enlists the help of a medical student dropout to turn Jagger into a killing machine by pumping him full of experimental drugs and muscle enhancers. Now Jagger is a monster, a beast that can’t feel pain, with an unquenchable thirst for blood. He quickly breaks out of his pen and starts making his way home, tearing apart anyone in his path on his way to the one he feels has betrayed him the most—Amy.

Genres: Horror

334 pages, Hardcover

First published February 16, 2015

About the author

Kristopher Rufty lives in North Carolina with his three children and pets. He’s written over twenty novels, including ALL WILL DIE, THE DEVOURED AND THE DEAD, DESOLATION, THE LURKERS and PILLOWFACE. When he’s not spending time with his family or writing, he’s obsessing over gardening and growing food.

His short story DARLA'S PROBLEM was included in the Splatterpunk Publications anthology FIGHTING BACK, which won the Splatterpunk award for best anthology. THE DEVOURED AND THE DEAD was nominated for a Splatterpunk award.

He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For more about Kristopher Rufty, please visit: www.kristopherrufty.com

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A very strong showing from Kristopher Rufty. And a damn fine way to end my 2023 reading adventure. Jagger is your normal, gigantic mastiff who is head over heels obedient to his owner, Amy. The dog is unfortunately abducted, abused, and turned into an ugly, feral beast, going on a bloody rampage. So I’ve seen Man’s Best Friend and Cujo and probably some other titles slipping my mind. And they’re all mostly the same basic movie. So what really made this shine so bright was the characters. It reminded me a bit of Stephen King, as Rufty gave very generous backstories and detail to even the most obscure side characters. And everyone was connected in some way, so the entire story had a great flow, fully utilizing each and every page. Amy was a solid lead, being propped up by a myriad of underlings. And even Jagger was given a third-person POV, which was fantastic. I did want some more from the ending, and felt there were a couple of the many plot points that needed some additional development. But, overall, this was a fantastic horror experience, bringing new life to a tired premise.

[Jason Parent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book for those who have dogs to read. But the story makes no excuses for its subject matter, doesn't glorify dog-fighting, and (I think) depicts a gritty world with almost journalistic indifference (real journalism, not that kind we're spoon-fed on TV).

All in all, it wasn't my favorite book, but the author knows how to do tension and horror. He is at his best when his dog is on the attack and can keep the tension going ( and even ramp it up a notch) for an entire chapter.

He does portray all men as sex-crazed pervs. But that may not be too far from the truth.

3.5 stars

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars

The story starts off with this loser named Clayton needing a new dog to win a dog-fight so he can pay back a very nasty guy. Clayton is willing to do anything, and I do mean anything (need some mouthwash, buddy?) to prevent a painful and, I'm sure, drawn-out death.

Clayton tells his sob-story to his on-again off-again lover, Teresa, who's so desperate for love that she will do anything to please him--even betray her best friend. This is where the story goes sideways.

Teresa's best buddy, Amy, just happens to own a 180 pound mastiff named  Jagger. He's a teddy-bear, scared of little kittens, lovingly playful, and companion to the very lonely Amy.

While Amy is away Clayton and friends kidnap the poor dog by knocking him out with some unknown drug. Immediately they begin training him to hate, to destroy, to kill.

Jagger, beaten, but not down, turns the table on his captors, letting their blood feed his new-found lust. No longer man's best friend, Jagger wants revenge.

Will Amy ever get to see Jagger again? Does she really want to?

First of all, I like dogs, but I love them from a distance. Yeah, I smile at animals and will even pet some I don't know, but we've got to feel each other out first. Jagger, I imagine he looks like this

is cute---from a distance. Will we wrestle? No. Will I throw a frisbee to him? Yes. Will I feed him from my hand? Hell to the NO.
I had a moment of angst when they were about to kidnap him and he was all excited with his tail wagging. What a betrayal that must have been since he was used to Teresa being friendly to him.

Amy. Poor Amy was a freaking wreck when she found out her dog was missing. I will never know the bond of a pet and its owner so I'll just associate it with a well-loved family member. She flipped out! I'd imagine someone to be hysterical, but in my opinion I found her behavior to be unbelievable to the point where my compassion for her situation wavered.

Mark, the unwitting police officer, was in over his head before he had even begun. He goes through a lot in such a short time. He really got the pointy end of the nightstick. When he meets Jagger, well, he's just not prepared for such an unrelenting force.

Jagger, of course, reminded me of Cujo and the dog from that movie, Man's Best Friend

I don't know what I would have done if I saw this

coming for me. Pee my pants would be an understatement.

I thought this read was entertaining. My favorite parts were when Jagger got free, raging against humans. A lot of folks will be satisfied with this whole package; just enough grit, guts, and gory to not be over the top, but damn, that's what I was hoping for. More carnage and heart-pounding intense moments like that scene with Ellie stuck in the house with The Big J would have sent this emotionally charged read into overdrive. There were big moments that should have been expanded on. Janice's shining mommy moment being one of them.

Mr. Rufty has written a well-crafted story that is highly enjoyable. Check it out over at Sinister Grin Press.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When her boyfriend, Clayton gets himself into serious debt, Teresa comes up with a plan to help him. Clayton lost a bunch of money on a dog-fighting bet, and Teresa knows where he can get a new dog. A huge dog. Her best friend Amy's dog, Jagger.
And once injected with a new steroid type drug Clayton's friend has developed, this dog will be absolutely unbeatable in a fight. However, Jagger escapes from his cruel new owners before he's even forced to fight. The drugs and the dog-fighting "training" have turned Jagger into a monster, and he's on the war path now - ready to take down anyone he sees.

[Hunter Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn this is horror at its best! Jagger makes Cujo look like a sickly puppy. It hooked me from page one and I couldn't put it down. Daring, visceral, poignant and plain terrifying, Kristopher Rufty has written a masterpiece.

[David Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jagger is a fleshed out, vicious and brutal novel that shows humanity at its worst. It’ll rip at your heartstrings and burrow under your skin. It’ll piss you off. Yeah, it’s filled with violence and scumbags that deserve what’s coming to them, but at the same time it’s got feeling and tenderness, which is what makes this such a fantastic and wicked read. So buckle in for this generation’s Cujo.

[Wesley Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this book is nothing short of sinister. Gory, graphic, threatening, terrifying, exhilarating, and positively mind-blowing. With so many appeals there is almost an endless list of reasons why you should be reading this. It is a guaranteed reader-pleaser. Kristopher has that writing style that is so addictive it practically compels the reader to continue, unable to stop until the book has been finished. With a flawless flow and pacing handled with precision and perfection. All the while we're unable to put the book down, you'll be gasping, cringing and gagging. But that is why we love our horror books due to the visceral responses we feel when enjoying truly remarkable horror fiction. An author that can evoke strong emotional and physical responses is one to remember! And Rufty gives us that and so much more!

In 'Jagger' we have the protagonist Amy. A young woman who just happens to own an enormous dog that she adores. Amy thinks of him as a goofball and completely harmless. Unless of course you try to hurt her, then all bets are off. Along with Jagger is her unofficial room mate Teresa. But Teresa's on and off boyfriend Clayton manages to get himself into some serious financial trouble. The debt owed is so large that it forces the poor man to perform some truly unsavoury acts in order to ease some of the pressure and give him more time to figure out how to get his hands on several thousand dollars. But when all is said and done this doesn't seem to help, to Clayton's dismay. With no more options and out of luck, he turns to his slightly insane friend Stan, desperate for help. Although mentally unhinged, this nut job does think of one way to solve his problems that might actually work. It is not easy, cheap or safe. It is not even a guaranteed way out, but choices are a luxury Clayton cannot afford, and a huge risk is the only sure thing that will come from the plan. But when Clayton is told he'll need a big dog for this to work, he begins to get nervous as he doesn't know any. But that is when Teresa has an idea.

You're stomach will squirm throughout this marvellous creation, fearful for the characters and anxious at how it will all end.

Rufty gives us a truly disturbing, superb horror that is unlike anything you've read before. The characterizations are flawless. We grow to hate, love, sympathize and pity. We form all kinds of bonds with these fictional characters, hoping some will prevail, and others will fail miserably. And as is often the case in most fiction, we have a complex romantic entanglement. After several gruesome deaths a cop becomes involved and starts to have feelings for Amy. But at that time Amy is in no fit state to think about relationships. Then we have vivid descriptions forcing us to feel pain, nausea, dizziness, terror and even shame. Clearly the author wants to shock and scare the reader with multiple tactics, which all pay off. This is the novel we have all been waiting for, that packs plenty of punches!
There is a timeless quality to it and will be enjoyed for years to come.

Warning: don't eat before, during and you definitely won't wanna eat after. Rufty's depictions are superb! He uses a wide variety of powerful words and phrasing to bring sensations, smells and sights to life. Everything practically jumps off the page. Also, for the dog lovers among us, prepare yourselves. This book could quite possibly change how you see dogs. Remember Stephen King's 'Cujo'? Well multiply it by ten, add more depth, massacre and fear. A vicious ride that entertains and petrifies us from page one until the end.

At several points in the book we question Kristopher's mental sanity. Which in my opinion, is the true mark of a terrific horror writer. I urge you to read this as soon as possible.

[Katie (DeathByPaperbacks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty fun book. I really enjoyed the first half and the build up. The kills were brutal and entertaining and poor Jagger gets put through the wringer 😭 I did find myself getting bored of the constant moral conflicts amongst the characters. But was thrilled to see how some of their futures ended up. Overall a pretty good read and I’ll be checking out more by Rufty

[Angela Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Description:

Other than the trailer park left to her by her deceased daddy, Amy’s favorite treasure is Jagger, her 180-pound bull mastiff. One day while she is away, Clayton, her best friend’s scumbag boyfriend sneaks into her yard and takes the dog. His prize fighting pit bull was killed during its last match, costing a lot of bad people a lot of money. To make up for his dog’s losses, and to save his own life, Clayton enlists the help of a medical student dropout to turn Jagger into a killing machine by pumping him full of experimental drugs and muscle enhancers. Now Jagger is a monster, a beast that can’t feel pain, with an unquenchable thirst for blood. He quickly breaks out of his pen and starts making his way home, tearing apart anyone in his path on his way to the one he feels has betrayed him the most—Amy.

Kristopher Rufty is a great author, and he's proved it once again with his latest book. Jagger is a fast paced thrill ride full of terror. I was hooked from page one. The characters are easy to care for, or hate in some cases, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Parts of this book had me in tears. They were truly horrifying and hard to read as a dog lover but worked in this story. If you love horror, especially animal attack horror, you'll want to grab this book! A solid 4.5 star read.

[Douglas Castagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for an honest review. I heard of the author and had never really gotten interested in him until I read Jackpot, which really made me take notice of the four authors of that opus. So when I got the chance to read this book I jumped at the chance.

Jagger is a behemoth. Weighing in at nearly 200 lbs Jagger is a cuddly and loving pet until some bad people do some bad things to him, and his mind, and body are in ruins and he becomes a killing machine bent on revenge.

Rufty manages to create some truly three dimensional characters, one whom you empathize with and ones you cannot wait to be seen torn apart by the titular character. There is also a fair amount of gore, that is always a huge selling point for me in my horror choices. Rufty does not disappoint on that front.

All in all, Jagger is a fast paced, well constructed novel that will not disappoint.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know where we can get a dog.

2 stars. Even with this rating - and my extreme disappointment in this effort - Kristopher Rufty's "Jagger" is not what I would call a bad story. I still think when it comes to creating stories, that is, utilizing the needed imagination for same, Rufty has real potential as an author. To that, this book is one of the most hard-hitting I've read in a long time, being both extremely tragic and very uncomfortable as it is based around dog-fighting. So if you're curious, yes, a number of animals die in this book as do a lot of the human kind of beasties as well. Some of these victims you probably won't object so much to seeing their rather obviously foreshadowed endings but others are surely will be more sympathetic as you move along. And the fact that some players are not met with any kind of "justice" by the end - the mad scientist drug addict is the first that comes to mind, you know the one that whipped up a concoction of a "synthetic version of hormones and increased muscle mass" - which makes many of the other deaths even more heart-wrenching.

His appearance was different. Altered, slightly sick and mutated.

However, as I've had to mention before with Rufty's offers, the editing is just not good - and that's putting it extremely mildly AND politely. Now before you ask: no, I'm not quibbling in this case about punctuation or what I see too often these days, namely, the incorrect formulations needed for continuing dialogue. No, in this case there are just dozens of examples of missing or even the wrong words being used. And obviously, this is not something that just automatic spell-checking is going to spot! Examples include not vs. Knot or using luck instead of luckY. Other examples that had me groaning included meet vs. meAt (argh!!!), dominate vs. domiNANT, wonder vs. wAnder, affectively vs. Effectively, etc. It's so bad it literally detracts from the reading experience and makes the story feel like it's dragging in pace more than I think it does! Oh one more: it's g'damn LEECHES that suck blood, not LEACHES!

Then its eyes burst, popping like two balloons filled with milk.

Adding to the uncomfortable editing - and yes, this is another "trait" I've mentioned before with Rufty's books - the sheer sexist focus on women's bodies borders on being, well, if not pornographic then definitely over the line. Over and over again we are "invited" to focus on a woman's breasts or her nipples or whatever body part seems to be laid out conveniently for our viewing pleasure (how dare women sit! Or stand! Or breathe!)! And if we're not describing the actual body parts, why is so much time spent on describing how a given outfit highlights said regions or what happens when the clothing gets wet, etc.? And if you think I'm exaggerating: the word "breasts" appears 48 times which makes the 10 uses of "nipple(s)" a little bit low in terms of the count. Before you ask, no, I will not do the same count for other body parts or descriptions for the female anatomy, even those bits already mentioned. I mean, when Amy shows up at yet another shocking crime scene, why is the first reaction that the "curves of her breasts and dots of her nipples were easily decipherable"? Um, what? Is her chest a book for the blind?

I think you’ve got a damn monster on your hands.

Or continuing this thought (mostly because I just want to keep these paragraphs short), shortly after we get the Braille description of her nipples, there's the description: "her breasts shook loosely behind the thin shirt. Any moment they might fall out if she didn’t calm down"? But at least Officer Mark got to have a gander at the hot veterinarian which was key to his investigation, am I right ("[he] glimpsed a bare leg through the slit in her long skirt…")? You'd have thought he'd have enough at work what with Carla giving us all the show, either with "(she) grabbed a water bottle. She stepped back, stood up, and shut the fridge. She leaned against it, jutting out her breasts. Her shirt was made out of a material that made it look wet and shiny under the light…" or "even the African American officers always commented on her ass, which Mark had to agree was plump and perfect." But don't worry: some of the comments when the Latinos are discussed are even worse…

The only thing that remained clear was his craving to hurt. And blood. The sweet taste of blood.

So bad editing AND really tasteless sexism? But wait: there's more! Again, I know this was an emotional story. I mean, I felt it myself. But dang, sometimes the melodrama in this one went way overboard. I mean, poor, poor Amy. We got it, she was devastated. Still to continue and add statements like this: "Jagger was hers, and he’d hurt her more than anyone, broken her heart, decimated her soul." Blech. And without focusing on Teresa's sad whining (oh I was so glad when… no, no, that's a spoiler! As if..), when Amy's big action hero scene came up - "she was going to kill him. If she died doing so, that was fine" - well, I just wish I'd had an empty popcorn box nearby to catch my sick.

The dark lips trembled around teeth that curled out like hooks.

Overall, my advice is to give this one a pass. I still think Rufty has potential, but I'm going to think more than twice about picking up any of his further offers or at least any of his first several released books. It's a shame the filtering system on goodreads is so bad otherwise I'd say just filter by "publication year" (hoping Rufty has worked on some of these issues with his newer offers). But we'll see. I guess I should just calm my tits down, huh? After all, my nipples are starting to chafe… but thank the gods I have such a cute bum…

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Thanks to the author for a gifted copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Jagger was a fast-paced, horrific tale from start to finish. I couldn't help but feel bad and root for Jagger the entire time. The evil characters were incredibly unlikable, however I did like our FMC Amy. Other than Jagger, she was the only other tolerable/least problematic character (other than the little boy, but I forgot his name. He was kind of adorable).

I think my favorite parts were told from Jagger's perspective. It definitely made you feel for the dog, even though he was literally killing everyone in his path (although it was 100% not his fault). Most of the deaths were also justifiable and satisfying because of how awful the characters were to Jagger.

This story definitely was a tad dated with the sexualization of the female characters - for me it was a bit over the top and not completely necessary for the story. However, it's very reminiscent of horror books and movies of that time (this book was originally published in 2015 I think), so I'm not as annoyed as I would normally be.

Trigger warnings - if you absolutely can't read books with animal abuse and death - don't read this one it will upset you (but I'm sure you can figure that out from the book synopsis). If you enjoyed Cujo, this felt like a more modern, fast-paced version of that book and I definitely would recommend Jagger.

[P A Whalley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished Kristopher Rufty's Jagger, a barnstormer of a book! Rufty introduces us to our main characters quickly and efficiently setting up the utterly tragic events that unfold with heartbreaking inevitability. One characters end in particular was devastating all because of their painful story ending the only way it could. You see it coming, but it still hits like a sledgehammer. Even our savage killing machine Jagger himself evokes sympathy and pathos, just as much a victim as any of the poor sods he slaughters along his journey.
Briskly written, excellently paced and with some outstanding gore and nastiness, Jagger is a great read and a fine addition to the killer canine pack.

[DJMikeG · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent killer dog horror novel. I found that the plot was a little sluggish for how simple the story was. It kind of meandered around quite a bit, especially in the middle section of the book. That said, some of the characterizations were really great and realistic, and the climax was harrowing. A tough read here and there for those of us who love dogs. Overall a good horror novel that could have been great if pared down a bit.

[Scott Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

This was an action packed thrill ride think cujo but on steroids. Only fault I'll pick is the character development was a tad lacking and there was a couple of bizarre out of place events.

[John Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Rufty, but I still enjoyed this one. Fast paced, with good characterization and some Rufty gore. Deals with dog fighting so if you’re squimish about animals (fictional of course) being hurt, beware.

[Mommacat · Rating 1 out of 5]

As much as I like Rufty's books (and usually rate him 4 or 5 stars) I just couldn't read this one about dog brutality. The protagonist was an idiot with a moron for a gf....nope with was just way out of my scope.

[LORRIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing, terrifying and sad story.

[Lorraine Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this copy from the author in exchange for a review*
Once again Kristopher Rufty delivers another fast-paced page-turner.
I'm a dog lover and recent owner of a new Newfoundland puppy, so I already felt apprehensive when I picked this book up. To Amy, Jagger is her life, her best friend and constant companion. When a prized fighting pit bull is killed in the ring, unscrupulous people who view dogs not as man's best friend but as a lucrative business set their sights on Jagger. At 180 pounds, Jagger is big enough to handle a special drug, concocted by a cruel mind. The hope to turn Jagger into a killing machine becomes a reality when the drug takes and Jagger turns.
But then Jagger breaks free of his captors, and the carnage begins. In Jagger's mind, he has been betrayed, hurt and abandoned by the one person he loved – Amy. It was interesting to read chapters from Jagger's point of view as he leaves a trail of mutilated bodies in his search for Amy,all traces of the dog he once was destroyed by the drug designed to mould him into a vicious killer.
The supporting cast of the book all played a part in the story and the sub-plots weaved together to bring the book to its final conclusion.
I'd recommend this book to all fans of horror and suspense.

[Lucian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Okay, where to start with this book. Many have commented that this makes Cujo seem tame. I don’t know what book they read because this book was no Cujo. It has some good ideas but is plagued with issues. Like useless scenes talking about how every single woman’s breast look like, even during frightening scenes. How many times does the author need to talk about clothes forming to a woman’s buttocks? Also why is it that one the only times a Person of color is mentioned is when it’s commented that the African American cops noticed a woman’s butt? WTF! Then when a Hispanic character talks it’s shared that he has no accent, why is that even mentioned? Like I said before though there is a fun story mixed in with all of this. Being done by an independent publisher I know books tend to need some polishing up. I see some who have likened the writer to Richard Laymon. Which could be why I am noticing these issues, because Laymon also feels the need to always talk about every females breast. Hopefully the author has become better with time. He has a lot of other titles and I plan to try him again.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading a few of his books it is clear that Kristopher Rufty is heavily influenced by Richard Laymon. With Jagger this situation takes an interesting turn; what if Richard Laymon wrote a Jack Ketchum novel?

Like Ketchum's work, Jagger is reality based and the focus is on the characters rather than the plot. There is plenty of bloody violence, but rather than get a visceral thrill from it the reader is concerned for the characters (well, some of them) and doesn't want them to meet a gory end. The tragedy of Jagger, a dog tortured in to madness, is handled well and really tugs at the heartstrings.

It is a cliche to describe a book as "more mature", so I will avoid that by saying Jagger is a departure from the other writings of Mr. Rufty's that I've read. 5 stars, highly recommended.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read anything by Kristopher Rufty. Was I disappointed? Hell no! Jagger, the main character, is a cuddly, big ass dog, kidnapped by dog fighters and drugged to create a vicious guaranteed match winner. Unfortunately for the dog fighters, and everyone else involved, Jagger escapes and mayhem ensues.

[Noigeloverlord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take Cujo make him meaner,stronger and he might last 10 seconds against Jagger. A disturbing story about a dog gone bad.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book. Kristopher Rufty has done it again. I read his books no matter what. You know you are getting a great read. Keep them coming!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal killer dog story filled with scum bag characters. Good stuff and lots of fun.